India's complaint about the treatment of Indians in South Africa is proving to be one of the more disturbing and contentious issues at the meetings of the United Nations. There can be little doubt that the Indian Government has grounds for complaining over the treatment in South Africa of persons of Indian race and they have resorted to the United Nations only after having failed to secure satisfaction by negotiation. On the side of South Africa it can be argued that the Indian complaint relates to matters within their domestic jurisdiction.

At the moment there is a motion before the United Nations Committee which is studying the question to refer the whole subject to the International Court of Justice in order to clear up the preliminary question of jurisdiction. Mr. St. Laurent, speaking on November 25,¹ supported this motion as did the United States and the United Kingdom. No vote has been taken yet but our Delegation reports there is not much chance of this motion being passed.

If this motion is lost it seems likely that the Assembly would carry a motion of censure against South Africa and require her to report at the next meeting of the Assembly on the removal of the disabilities against Indians. Apparently there is a very strong desire among countries with coloured populations to secure the adoption of a censure motion against South Africa. So far only Argentina has come to the support of South Africa.

If a motion of censure is presented the Canadian Delegation most likely will abstain, taking the view that in the absence of information which the Court might provide it could not vote on the question.

¹Voir Nations Unies, Documents officiels de la seconde partie de la première session de assemblée générale, Commission mixte des première et sixième commissions, deuxième séance, le 25 novembre 1946, pp. 11-12.
¹See United Nations, Official Records of the Second Part of the First Session of the General Assembly, Joint Committee of the First and Sixth Committees, Second Meeting, November 25, 1946, pp. 11-12.